Conveyer apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

Patented June '16, 1885.

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S Pholhlhuyapher, Wilmington. D, CV

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. P. DOWNING.

GONVBYER APPARATUS.

N0. 320,340. y Patented June l W-Znessea -I rvea or,

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N. PErEns, Pmwmmgnphnr. wuhmgmn. llcy (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

IJ. F. DOWNING.

GONVBYER APPARATUS. N0. 320,340. Patented June 16, 1885.

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JEROME FRANCIS DOVNING, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVEYER APPARATUS.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,340, dated June 16, 1885.

Application filed May 14, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME F. DowNrNG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyer Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invent-ion relates to that class of conveyers in which the track is elevated and the article to be carried hangs pendent from the track, and particularly to that type of conveyers which is shown in Letters Patent issued to me September 16, 1884, and January 6, 1885, and it consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

My rinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as follows:

Figure l is a side elevation view showing a store-counter, the ceiling of the room, two supporting-posts and elevator-guides, and a section of the oppositelygraded conveyertracks, A and B. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, the line of vision being up against the under side of the upper track and down upon the upper side of the lower track; the gure shows a receiving and shipping'station on the line of tracks. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the supporting-arms C on one of the posts C. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the under side of one of the switches on the main track B. Fig. 5 is a like view of the upper side of the same part. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same part. Fig. l0 is a plan View (reduced scale) of the under side of the same part,with the leverage constructed so as to give an opposite action to that seen in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the trolley or car. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section through the trolleyframe on the line x in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an end view of the trolley as it stands on the track; and Fig. 11 is a view taken on the line y y in Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, as follows:

A is the track which grades from the waystations to the central station.

(No model.)

B is the track which grades from the central station to the way-stations.

A and B are switches or shunts at each way-station, or at any point where a branch track may extend from the main line.

C C are supporting posts, which extend from the tloor or counter to the ceiling, and are securely fastened, and are of sufficient strength to sustain the trucks and other appurtenances.

C C are arms,which are adjustably secured on the post C by set-screws c, and are connected wit-h and sustain the tracks. (Fig. 3 shows these arms made extensible by a slipjoint, c', a construction which may be employed when desired.)

D D are elevator ways or slides on which the elevator-frame E moves vertically.

Dl D are arms adj ustably secured on the posts C by set-screws d, and are connected with and support the elevator slide bars or ways D D.

D2 is an arm adjustably connected with the posts C and supports a device for catching or receiving the receptacle or basket of the conveyer as it is let down from the track by the elevator. This device may be employed or not, as desired, and it may be turned to one side and used to h old a basket which is detached from the trolley.

E is the section of track connected with the elevator.

E is the elevator-frame. The construction and operation of the elevator is essentially the same as that shown and described in my patent of January 6, 1885, above referred to.

F is the switch-tongue, and f the spring which holds the switchtongue in its normal position-that is, so as to keep the main track open.

G is a lever for moving the switch-tongue from its normal position-that is, so as to close the main track and open the switch-track. This lever is pivoted on top of the tube forming the track, (see Figs. 2, 5, and 6), and has an arm, G, which reaches around one side of the tube to the lower side, where it is provided with a pin, g, and it has at the opposite end an arm, g', which reaches down below the tube and connects with the switch-tongue F. The arm G may pass down either side of the tube. In Fig. l0 it is shown onthe opposite side from what it is in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and when IOO it is so arranged a compoundleverage must be employed, as seen at F F in Fig. 10,`to give the same movement to the switch-tongue as if the arm G was on the same side, as in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The lever G is moved by a fender, h, on the trolley coming in contact with the pin g in the arm G. By providing, as above described, for the arrangement of the arm G on either sideof the track, and also by varying the position and length of the pin g, as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1l, it will be seen that considerable variation in the position of the pin g and of the fender h may be had. Consequently there may be a large nurnber of switchesv on a line of track, and at each one the position ofthe pin will differ from all the others; and hence cars destined for any given station will have their fenders h so placed as to come in contact with the pin g, at only that station and no other, and hence will pass all other stations without being switched, but will be switched at the station to which it is destined. The variations of the pin g are in distance either way from the slot in the tube and in the vertical length of the pins. The

fenders h on the cars or trolleys are varied to y correspond with the pins.

The operation of switching a car is as follows: A car approaching a switch onto which it is destined to go has its fender la so adjusted as to come in contact with the pin g on the arm G of the lever G, and when these parts so come in contact the lever G is moved on its pivot, and the arm g', being in connection with the tongue F, swings it on its pivot also, and carries the said tongue to move across the main slot and open the branch slot, and the stem or pendant ofthe trolley which moves in the said slot is carried into the branch slot, and of course the trolley will run into the branch tube. As soon as the car has passed into the branch slot, the spring f throws the switch-tongue back into its normal position. The pin g,as such,is not an essential element, as the end of the arm G may be so formed as to dispense with the use of the pin. In fact, the pin g may be considered a part of the arm G. The wheels of the trolley are shown in the drawings as having a V-shaped tread or face, while in my former patents they were shown as rounded or U-shaped. This variation in construction is immaterial.

The suspension of the two tracks and the elevator-guides and other parts, as shown, from posts fixed at the top and bottom is very advantageous, as it enables the erection of the system in a store with the least possible damage to the building and fixtures, and it is also cheap and strong, and can be quickly put in place and removed when desired.

What I claim as new is- V l. In a conveyer apparatus, `the combination, substantially as herein set forth, of two lines of track grading in opposite directions and each provided with branch or switch tracks extending. therefrom, vertical posts placed at intervals along said track and firmly secured to the building at top and bottom,-

cross-arms vertically adjustable secured to said posts and sustaining said tracks and their branches, and, finally, elevator slide ways connected with arms which are vertically adjustable on said posts.

2. In a conveyer apparatus, the combination, substantially as set forth,ot' a track or way consisting of a tube having a longitudinal slot on its under side and branch tracks similarly constructed, a movable switch tongue or point arranged, as shown, at the intersecting points, which is retainedin one position by a spring, and a lever pivoted on the upper side of said track which connects at one end with themovable switch-tongue and at the other end is provided with an arm which reaches down below the track in position to be acted upon by a passing car, as described and for the purposes mentioned.

, 3. In a conveyer apparatus,'the combination, substantially as shown, of the slotted tubular main and branch tracks B B', the pivoted switch-tongue F, the ,lever G, having arms g and G, arranged, lsubstantially as shown, and operatively connected with the switch-tongue F, and, finally, the car or trolley, provided with a fender, h, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JEROME FRANCIS DowNiNe.

/Vitnesses:

Gno. TALcoTT, JNO. K. HALLocK. 

